Swinging door latch



Aug. 18, 1942. s. E. BUSH ETAL SWINGING DOOR LATCH Filed May 22, 1941 INVESTORS SfoneE. Bush 6' BY Gus fare Mil/er- Patented Aug. 18, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SWINGING DOOR LATCH Stone E. Bush, United States Navy, and Gustave Miller, New Haven, Conn.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 G. 757) 7 Claims.

This invention relates to a screen door latch, and has for an object to provide a safety latch especially intended for use on a door that swings in both directions from its closed position.

Swinging doors such as used in oflice buildlugs and elsewhere, are often a source of danger to persons who may be passing thereby just at a time that a person from the opposite side of the door may push the door outwardly in order to pass therethrough, This is especially so when a person is passing down a corridor leading past the swinging door if the door is open just as the person reaches that position, thereby possibly striking the person in the corridor in the face or'elsewhere, with possibility of serious injury.

With this invention there is provided a latch that will prevent the door from swinging outwardly, and instead necessitate its being opened inwardly toward the person using the door. However, it must be realized that in some circumstances the swinging door should be swingable outwardly away from the person using the door, otherwise the entire purpose of the door being swingable to opposite sides may be lost. With this invention it is possible for the person using the door to nevertheless open the door outwardly by use of excessive pressure thereon.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view of a swinging door and door jamb to which this invention has been applied.

Fig. 2 is a vertical view of the latch of this invention at right angles to Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical view of the latch at right angles to Fig. 2, with the latch ear in raised position.

There is shown at 0 a swinging door mounted ondouble hinges l I to the jamb I2 between an office l3 andthe hall M. Generally, the door swings freely past the opposite jamb l5, so that a person leaving oifice l3 pushing against the door it swings it out into hall M, and is apt to injure a person walking down hall i l just at that time. In some offices, the door Ill bears a notice Pull, but such notice is often ignored or overlooked.

This invention comprises a double latch l6 mounted on jamb l5. Each individual latch ear I! is identical but the reverse of the other. The latch ear I! is provided at its inner edge 18 with pintle 23. Beyond its inner edge I 8, the latch ear is curved as shown at 2|, which curve 2| leads to the rounded point 22, from where there extends a cam edge 23 joining to the inner edge l8.

The pintle 26 has an eye 24 pivoted above a bearing 29 on a vertical journal 25. This journal 25 is mounted by an angular foot 26 to a plate 22' adapted to be secured to the door jamb 15 as by screws 28. A coil spring 38, of suitable strength, has one end affixed to the eye 24 of pintle 28 and its other end is anchored to the top of journal 25, so as to normally retain pintle 2!! close along plate 2?. A stop 32 fixed to the end of pintle 20 has a finger 33 extending into abutting relation with plate 27 to hold the pintle slightly spaced therefrom and permit latch bearing l9 to rotate about pintle 20. Another finger 34 on the stop 32 extends into a recess 35 in bearing IEI, limiting the movement of ear I! about pintle 2i! and supporting it in horizontal position. Door Ill usually being of wood, striker plates 35 may be countersunk in the edge thereof adjacent latch ear back 3| to reduce wear and friction therebetween.

In operation, when mounted as shown, door I 0 on swinging shut, will cam up the latch ear I! on the cam edge 23 and hit against the back 3! of the latch ear ii on the far side and thus remain in a .closed position. To open the door the near latch ear I7 is raised about its bearing :9, pivoting about pintle 28, permitting door it to be opened toward the operator. In an emergency such as a fire, or when ones hands are occup'e strong pressure against door ID Will cause it to press against the curve 2| of the back of the far latch ear ll, causing its pintle 20 to pivot about its eye 24 on journal 25 against the coil spring 30, to open the door on the far side.

While this invention has been described as applicable to a swinging door, it is obvious that it is equally applicable to a swinging gate or any other closure member which may normally be swung to opposite sides of its closed position.

Other modifications and changes in the number and arrangement of the parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the nature of the invention, within the scope of what is hereinafter claimed.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes Without the payment of any royalties a tubular bearing l9 through which extends a 1711611201101 therefor- Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

1. A latch for a swinging closure member, said latch com-prising a latch ear, means for pivoting said latch ear for vertical movement permitting said latch ear to be lifted out of the path of the swinging closure member, means for journalling said latch pivoting means permitting said latch ear and latch pivoting means to be rotated horizontally out of the path of the swinging closure member by pressure of the swinging closure member against said latch ear, and means for mounting said journal means on a closure .member jamb adjacent the closure member.

2. A latch for a swinging closure member, said latch comprising a latch ear, meansfor horizontally pivoting said latch ear for vertical movement permitting said latch ear to be lifted out of the path of the swinging closure member, means vertically journalling said latch pivoting means permitting said latch ear the latch pivoting means to be rotated horizontally out of the path of the swinging closure member by pressure of the swinging closure member against said latch ear, and means for mounting said journal means on a closure member jamb adjacent the closure member.

3. A latch for a swinging closure member, said latch comprising a latch ear, means for pivoting said latch ear for vertical movement permitting said latch ear to be lifted out of the path of the swinging closure member, means for yieldably journalling said latch pivoting means permitting said latch ear and latch pivoting means to be rotated horizontally out of the path of the swinging closure member by pressure of the swinging closure member against said latch ear, said yieldable journal means restoring said latch ear to original position when said pressure is released, and means for mounting said journal means on a closure member jamb adjacent the closure member.

4. .A latch for a swinging closure member, said latch comprising a latch ear, means for pivoting said latch ear for vertical movement permitting said latch ear to be lifted out of the path of the swinging closure member, a cam edge on the forward side of said latch ear cooperating with the closure member edge whereby said closure member may raise said latch ear and return to closed position, means for journalling said latch pivoting means permitting said latch ear and latch pivoting means to be rotated horizontally out of the path of the swinging closure member by pressure of the swinging closure member against said latch ear, and means for mounting said journal means on a closure member jamb adjacent the closure member.

5. A latch for a swinging closure member, said latch comprising a latch ear, means for pivoting said latch ear for vertical movement permitting said latch ear tobe lifted out of the path of the swinging closure member, a cam edge on the rearward side of said latch ear, means for journalling said latch pivoting means permitting said latch ear and latch pivoting means to be rotated horizontally out of the path of the swinging closure member by pressure of the swinging closure member against said rearward cam edge on said latch ear, and means for mounting said journal means on a closure member jamb adjacent the closure member.

6. A latch for a swinging door closure member, said latch comprising a latch ear, means for mounting said latch ear for vertical movement permitting said latch ear to be lifted out of the path of the swinging closure member, means for mounting said first mentioned mounting means for horizontal movement permitting said latch ear and said first mentioned latch mounting means to be moved horizontally out of the path of the swinging closure member by pressure of the swinging closure member against said latch ear, and means for mounting said second mentioned mounting means on a closure member jamb adjacent the closure member.

7. A latch for a swinging closure member, said latch comprising a latch ear, means for mounting said latch ear for movement in a plane parallel to the plane of the closure member when said closure member is in closed position, permitting said latch ear to be moved out of the path of the closure member, means for mounting said first mentioned latch mounting means for movement in a plane at right angles to the plane of said closure member when in closed position, permitting said latch ear and first mentioned mounting means to be moved out of the path of the swinging closure member by pressure of the swinging closure member against said latch ear, and means for supporting said second mentioned mounting means on' a closure member jamb adjacent the closure member.

STONE E. BUSH. GUSTAVE MILLER. 

